Androsphinx
Sphinxes In sacred isolation, a sphinx guards the secrets and treasures of the gods. As it calmly regards each new party that comes before it, the bones of supplicants and quest seekers that failed to pass its tests lie scattered around its lair. Its great wings sweep along its flanks, its tawny leonine body rippling with muscle and possessed of forepaws powerful enough to tear a humanoid in half. Divine Guardians. Sphinxes test the worth of those who seek the treasures of the gods, whether forgotten secrets or mighty Spells, artifacts or magical gateways. Creatures that choose to face a sphinx’s test are bound to that test unto death, and only those worthy will survive it. The rest the sphinx destroys. Some sphinxes are high Priests of the gods that create them, but most are simply embodied spirits, brought into the mortal realm by devout prayer or direct intervention. A sphinx maintains its vigil tirelessly, not needing to sleep or eat. It rarely engages with others of its kind, knowing no other life except its sacred mission. Magical Tests. The secrets and treasures a sphinx guards remain under divine Protection, so that when a creature fails a sphinx’s test, the path to the object or knowledge it guards vanishes. Even if a sphinx is attacked and defeated, a quester will still fail to gain the Secret it sought—and will make an enemy of the god that placed the sphinx as a Guardian. Benign deities sometimes grant a sphinx the power to remove supplicants that fail their tests, transporting them away and ensuring that they never encounter the sphinx again. However, those who fail a sphinx’s test typically meet a gruesome end beneath its claws. Extraplanar Beings. Mortals that encounter sphinxes do so most often in ancient tombs and ruins, but some sphinxes can access extraplanar realms. A conversation with a sphinx that begins between tumbled stone walls might suddenly shift to an alien locale, such as a life-sized game board or a daunting cliff that must be climbed in a howling storm. Sometimes a sphinx must be summoned from such an extradimensional space, with supplicants calling it from its empty lair. Only those the sphinx deems worthy gain admittance to its realm. Fallen Sphinxes. Whether through the weariness of the ages, regret at the slaughter of innocents, or dreams of worship by supplicants that attempt to bargain their way to knowledge, some sphinxes break free of their divine Command. However, even if a sphinx’s Alignment and loyalties drift in this way, it never leaves the place it guards or grants its secrets to any except creatures it deems worthy. Androsphinx An androsphinx bears the head of a humanoid male on its lion’s body. Outwardly gruff and downcast, it often begins conversations with insults or negative observations. Beneath this gruff exterior, however, an androsphinx has a noble heart. It has no wish to lie or deceive, but it doesn’t give away information readily, choosing its words as wisely as it guards its secrets. An androsphinx tests the courage and valor of supplicants, not only by forcing them to complete quests but also with its terrible roar, which echoes for miles as it terrifies and deafens nearby creatures. Those who pass its tests may be rewarded with a heroes’ feast. A Sphinx’s Lair A sphinx presides over an ancient Temple, sepulcher, or vault, within which are hidden divine secrets and treasures beyond the reach of mortals. Category:Monstrosities Category:Monster Category:Lore